Marysville looks to renovate community center

The city is considering spending up to $260,000 to renovate the interior of the old fire hall, now the Marysville Community Center. Some of the renovations include electrical and heating, ventilation and air conditioning work.(Photo: Brian M. Wells/Times Herald)Buy Photo

The interior of the community center at Marysville City Park could be getting more than $260,000 worth of upgrades.

It’s just the latest step the city has taken in deciding how to move forward maintaining its parks and buildings. What officials do with other city buildings — including City Hall — is still under discussion.

Marysville resident Jennifer Gellasch said she’s glad the city is moving forward with preserving the community center.

“There’s a lot of space in the fire hall that isn’t being utilized that could benefit a lot of residents,” Gellasch said. “There’s never anything to do in the winter, and people are always looking for stuff to do. You could just have a lot more activities if it was up-to-date and renovated.”

City Council members OK'd renovating the decades-old former fire hall Monday night, though the recommendation to spend up to $260,000 was amended to $275,000 to accommodate a fire alarm system in the upgrades.

It was budgeted for in the current fiscal year.

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The offices and storage rooms in the Marysville Community Center.(Photo: Brian M. Wells/Times Herald)

Over the past two years, city officials have discussed the building's future, such as demolishing the building or incorporating room for the recreation department in a new city hall complex.

The list of improvements proposed for the building includes painting, new walls, lighting and electrical work, and upgrading the heating system and adding air conditioning.

Recreation Coordinator Stefanie DeNardin said the building does provide space to some smaller summer activities such as Sporties for Shorties, and Marysville has on ongoing agreement to utilize the gym at Morton Elementary School for sports requiring more space.

But she hopes to do more with the city-owned space on Huron Avenue.

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One of the children's classrooms in the Marysvillle Community Center. The classroom will be converted into a community room when the building receives upgrades.(Photo: Brian M. Wells/Times Herald)

“I think the biggest deciding factor was when we went to a vote a couple years ago about having a new city hall, rec center, community center and all that, when that was turned down, we knew we that we had to look at an alternative way of having a community center in the city,” DeNardin said.

In November 2015, Marysville voters rejected the idea of a proposed $4 million municipal campus. It would have included space for a new city hall, community center and recreation space, museum space, and more.

“I use the old fire hall as a community center right now just in one of the bays,” DeNardin said. “To be able to hold different classes and that, council saw the importance of having a building that is available to everyone in the city and even then for residents to come in and use at their convenience. Because we don’t have anything for them here.”

City Manager Randy Fernandez said roofing and heating and cooling working is underway at the city's public safety building, at a cost of about $400,000.

Although voters rejected the new municipal campus two years ago, the city is also still weighing the future of City Hall, 1111 Delaware Ave. Officials have said it may be less expensive to replace the building than repair it.

Fernandez said architect Bill Vogan, who also had a hand in the community center plans, is expected to bring the council plans for a proposed new city hall in late September or early October.

Officials have also said they didn’t want to spend more than $1.5 million on a city hall. City Council members – with the exception of Mayor Dan Damman – said they didn’t think another advisory vote was necessary.

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The main activity bay in the Marysville Community Center. When the building receives renovations, the bay will receive upgrades such as new paint and garage doors.(Photo: Brian M. Wells/Times Herald)

Fernandez said city leaders believed citizen response to the building plans was largely positive.

“I personally have not taken any calls or comments regarding that,” Fernandez said. “At least half a dozen people have stopped me or come to council to say, ‘We need a new city hall, go ahead and do it.’”

During Monday's meeting, Vogan said renovations could take place in the late fall or early winter and up to four or five months to complete.

Back at the city park Monday afternoon, Mike Sherer, a Marysville native who now lives in Clinton Township, was visiting the area with his wife, Tracie, and son, Carson.

He remembered the days when the community center was still a fire hall and said he was happy to hear Marysville was keeping it. He said it seems important to returning visitors and residents.

“I remember firemen used to sell nightcrawlers they pulled up to fishermen there,” Sherer said. “… I’d be interested to know what the city does at that fire station. It’s very interesting.”

Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.